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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683849">Unbreakable Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colosseum_Trash/pseuds/Colosseum_Trash'>Colosseum_Trash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Forgotten Memories, Hop is such a sweetheart, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Soft comfort, Tyranitar - Freeform, i love bede though, irrational fear, order of events are a different, other ships are kinda just side ships, post Eternaus battle, slight angst, sorry to throw shade on bede</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:33:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colosseum_Trash/pseuds/Colosseum_Trash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After her battle with Eternatus Gloria wakes up one day left emotionally traumatized and unstable, unable to remember most of her past. Names she remembers, some faces she does not, and she’s very scared of Galar’s dragon gym leader.</p>
<p>Soft comfort. Slight angst. Hop’s a good friend. Gloria has a lot of panic attacks and there’s mention of violence but it’s very mild. Events are a little out of order: the battle with Eternatus takes place after Gloria has become champion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hop/Marnie, Kibana | Raihan/Yuuri | Gloria, Sonia/Leon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unbreakable Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote three pages of this right when I finished playing the game and then literally yesterday this one shot had 3 pages and I said screw homework and now it has 14 (not a big feat. for some of you but grant it I haven't been writing much, it means a lot to me). Raihan was supposed to be emotionally unstable as well but I couldn’t do that :3</p>
<p>Anywho, I'm actually kinda proud of how this turned out? So :3 I hope y'all enjoy &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Small moments of sanity, lost somewhere as the cold Galar wind rushed over Gloria’s shoulders. She swallowed hard and her eyelids spasmed briefly. What was real anymore? How much was still altered in her memories? How much of them were lies?</p>
<p>	“Ty…”</p>
<p>	The brown haired girl turned and rested a hand softly on her on Tyranitar’s face, stroking him softly. The Pokemon hummed happily and then stepped back, causing her hand to fall back to her side. The green Pokemon glanced back towards the way they had come, and then it’s black eyes fell back to her. </p>
<p>She folded her arms together and took a deep breath. “I know, I just don’t want to go back yet.”</p>
<p>The colors of the sky were a blended plate of golds, pinks, and soft purples, painting the lake in front of her like a canvas bathed in warm lights. How could the sky still be so bright when everything in her mind had become so dark.</p>
<p>Tyranitar called to her again, and this time she turned around fully, her jaw tightening as she stared back up the hill. She began to rub her thumb between her fingers and her foot taped in an uneven beat on the floor, she didn’t want to go back but…</p>
<p>The dark black eyes of her tyranitar absorbed her focus and suddenly the nervous twitch disappeared, even if only for a moment, and she nodded. “Alright. Let’s go back.”<br/>Side by side, Pokemon and trainer made their way back to the hospital.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Extensive tests were run, tubes were constantly injected into her body, her mind never, could never stop and focus, even if for a minute. Routine drills were run: stop walking, stand still, raise your arms, turn around. She felt so small, so naked, so vulnerable wherever she went in the hospital, especially when Tyranitar was not there.</p>
<p>	How had she met Tyranitar? Why did she have a Tyranitar?</p>
<p>	Every day the same routines day in and day out; nurses running in to check on her, nurses running out, doctor’s always bringing some kind of news, always bad never good.</p>
<p>	Her eyes are rimmed with dark bags and she glances up at the doctor as they check on and replace needles attached to syringes all over her body. “When can I leave?”</p>
<p>	The doctor smiles at her. “I think sometime soon hopefully. You’re a lot stronger than we thought you were.”</p>
<p>	Gloria’s face turned back to her feet. Stronger than they thought? What did that mean?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	During random parts of the day, she would freeze up, and the missing weight of her bag would jolt panic in her brain and she would begin to scream, begging someone to tell her where her bag was, where her Pokemon were.</p>
<p>	“Are they okay? Are they okay!?”</p>
<p>	No answers. Another memory she didn’t know the answer to.</p>
<p>	Where were her other Pokemon?</p>
<p>	<em>Dead</em>, her brain supplied.</p>
<p>	Where? When? Why? How?</p>
<p>	All questions, no solutions.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>The sun was unusually bright the day Gloria was released from the hospital ward. It was unusual to be out on her own, no white gown on, dressed in her normal clothes and walking around with only the band on her wrist to remind her of where she had been. Was she free now?</p>
<p>The green Pokemon besides her growled softly and she quickly dropped her hands to her sides when she realized that she had been aggressively scratching at her arms.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she muttered and her Pokemon let out a deep huff and shook his giant head.</p>
<p>They came to the entrance of the hospital and immediately, a boy with purple hair was bounding towards them at an unrighteous speed. Hop’s golden eyes were flooded with tears and he barely managed to stop himself from wrapping his friend in a hug and instead, hovered there, his arms holding empty air.</p>
<p>“Can I.. is it okay if I…?”</p>
<p>Gloria studied him curiously, cautiously and then nodded. “Of course.”</p>
<p>How could she deny comfort to someone who was hurting? The boy quickly wrapped her into a tight long hug and Gloria’s face was buried into his jacket.</p>
<p><em>Friend</em>, her brain supplied. <em>Hop.</em></p>
<p>A memory that had an answer with only a few blanks attached to it. She liked those kinds of memories.</p>
<p>The boy nodded towards the taxi cab that was waiting for them and Gloria gave him an unsure look. Hop gave her a reassuring smile. “Leon would like it if you came to visit him.”</p>
<p>Gloria blinked as memories began to leak into her mind, colors at first, then pictures, then small movies. Leon was Hop’s brother. He was the champion, no, was she the champion? She was the champion wasn’t she? But how could she be the champion? Where were her Pokemon? She clapped a hand to her side and frantically began searching her body for her bag, for her Pokemon, for any Pokeball. Tyranitar released a high shrill bark as Gloria’s breathing rate skyrocketed and she began to hyperventilate.</p>
<p>Hop quickly grabbed her hands. “It’s okay! It’s okay Gloria!” Gloria stopped and began gulping down long breaths of air. “I need to get a doctor, they’ll know what to do-”</p>
<p>“No!” Gloria snapped and quickly shook her head, her hyperventilating replaced with a steady shaking in her muscles. “I mean, it’s okay, I’m fine. I was just… looking for something.”</p>
<p>Tyranitar gave her a wary glance and Hop slowly began to nod. “Alright. I trust you. If you feel bad or wrong though, we’re going back, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>The two of them moved towards the taxi and Hop gave her a happy grin. “Sonia’s going to be there!”</p>
<p><em>Sonia</em>? Once more she felt herself being pulled under the weight of forgotten memories.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The doctors said not to overwhelm her brain so try not to talk about her too much. Anything that will cause a relapse or a panic attack, try to avoid it.”</p>
<p>“That’s basically everything though.”</p>
<p>“I know, I told her we were going to see you and she had a panic attack.”</p>
<p>Gloria stepped away from the door. She didn’t want to hear what else they had to say.</p>
<p>In her hands she rolled Tyranitar’s Pokeball around. It was warm and solid; it was real; a concrete piece of the world she had lost somehow. The door to Leon’s office opened after a moment and three worried faces stared down at her. Sonia burst into tears and almost immediately, Hop followed suit. Gloria only stood there, unsure of what she was supposed to do.</p>
<p>“Oh my goodness, Gloria,” Sonia covered her mouth and took a long, deep breath, “I missed you so much!”</p>
<p>Small little memories circled around the surface of her brain, of Sonia and her smile, of her grandmother, but they were hazy and unclear and Gloria <em>couldn’t</em> remember. So she just stood there, neither of them moving to hug or comfort the other.</p>
<p>Leon looked exhausted after the long nights of explaining to the public that their champion was out of commision for the moment and from trying to fill her place. He simply stood in the doorway, staring at her, watching her, his eyes sad and empty, then nodded towards his office.</p>
<p>“How about we come in and talk?”</p>
<p>The four of them crowded into Leon’s office and sat down. They talked and talked but Gloria didn’t know <em>what</em> about. She wasn’t listening. All of her senses were focused on the room itself. There were tiny little trophies and a badge stand, she had one of those didn’t she, and there was a framed jersey that had been signed many, many years ago. His book shelves were lined with photos- pictures of Leon and Hop, Leon and Sonia, Leon and gym leaders, some who she remembered, some she couldn’t, and then her eyes landed on one picture.</p>
<p>She gasped out loud and all conversation stopped.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Raihan,” Gloria whispered, and the three exchanged a glance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’ll be happy to see you,” Hop assured her, “he’s been asking about you non stop.”</p>
<p>Gloria nodded and rolled Tyranitar’s Pokeball around in her hand. “I’m sorry I cut our meeting with Sonia and your brother short.”</p>
<p>Hop shook his head. “Don’t worry, it’s fine! I’m super happy you remember Raihan!”</p>
<p>Raihan. Gloria’s mind blanked. What did she remember about him? When she had seen his picture, her mind had shouted his name and there was the shocking sensation of warmth and something <em>deeper</em> but aside from that, what did she remember about him? Nothing. Nothing? Everything? Nothing.</p>
<p>Hop knocked on a door and the boy Gloria had seen in the photograph opened it. His eyes widened and then he smiled and told them to come in. They followed Raihan into his living room and Gloria stood there, unsure if she should sit or not. Apparently, the other two didn’t know what to do either.</p>
<p>Raihan opened his mouth to speak but shut it after Hop gave him a concerned look and a cautious, ‘be careful.’ At that the older boy appeared to not know what to say and he seemed uncertain of himself and suddenly Gloria felt <em>very</em> afraid. Those gentle hands <em>(why were they gentle?)</em> that had always hung loosely by his side, now twitched around nervously as he switched his phone from hand to hand.</p>
<p><em>He’s a monster.</em> Her brain screamed.</p>
<p>Raihan’s teal eyes watched her closely and Gloria’s heart began to beat unnaturally fast and slowly she began to breathe heavily.</p>
<p><em>Fear.</em> This was fear, she was sure of it. She was afraid, <em>but of what</em>?</p>
<p>Raihan’s face contorted into panic and he took a step towards her, reaching out.</p>
<p>
  <em>Of him.</em>
</p>
<p>Where was Tyranitar? Why wasn’t Tyranitar out of his ball? Gloria frantically began to search for her Pokeball and when she found it, it slipped out of her sweaty palms and fell to the ground. The room exploded in a flash of red and Tyranitar let out a gentle roar, but Gloria’s heart hammered even harder, faster and suddenly she couldn’t breath. Her hands were at her throat and she was gagging, gasping for air.</p>
<p>	“Gloria!”</p>
<p>	A hand reached out for it but Gloria screamed; she shrieked, she howled, and then Tyranitar was there, trying to get her to focus on him, on his eyes, but she wouldn’t.</p>
<p>	Arms wrapped around her but they weren’t Raihan’s, Hop was pulling her away, out of the house. Tyranitar shrieked. Was he screaming? Was that her? She didn’t know.</p>
<p>	“Gloria calm down! It’s okay!”</p>
<p>	“Bloody h- no it’s not! Get her a doctor! Help! Someone!”</p>
<p>	And then everything went black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	When she opened her eyes, she was staring outside at hundreds of branches just on the other side of her hospital window. There was the steady beat of her monitor and there was a dull ache, she only needed to glance down to confirm that she was hooked up once more to thousands of drugs she couldn’t name.</p>
<p>	On the ground between her bed and the window, Tyranitar laid curled up in a giant ball, and sensing her, he raised his great head and called to her.</p>
<p>	“I’m okay,” she whispered.</p>
<p>	But was she?</p>
<p>	The door swung open and a nurse, a doctor and Hop stepped inside.</p>
<p>	“-sure it was just because she was overwhelmed from seeing everyone yesterday,” the doctor said and his eyes widened when they landed on Gloria. “Oh! You’re awake!”</p>
<p>	The nurse hurried to her side and began pulling various tubes out of her body and Gloria watched with a dull fascination. Her head bobbed as she looked back at Hop and the doctor.</p>
<p>	“She was fine with Leon and Sonia though. She asked to go see <em>him</em>.”</p>
<p>	Gloria’s eyes narrowed. She knew who they were talking about.</p>
<p>	The doctor sighed and took a seat by her bedside, motioning for Hop to do the same. The man’s eyes were old and gentle, and Gloria let him gently take her hand.</p>
<p>	“At first we suspected you had only lost memories during the incident, but now we also think that memories were also altered. Do you agree?”</p>
<p>	“Ty…” her Pokemon hummed softly, but it was a warning at the same time. A warning for her to be careful, to not overwork her brain and send her overboard once more.</p>
<p>	“I-I don’t know,” Gloria stammered and then paused. Were her memories altered? Or were they real?</p>
<p>	The doctor continued. “We don’t have any intel on your personal relationship with Raih-” Gloria gasped and the doctor rubbed soothingly at her hand, shushing her. “And grant it, you two might have had a bad past, but that’s why we think your memories have been altered. Hop tells me you two were close.”</p>
<p>	<em>Close?</em> Did that make sense? Gloria tried to remember but all she felt was the cold hand of fear snaking around her neck once more.</p>
<p>	“Don’t think about it too much,” Hop suggested softly.</p>
<p>	The doctor nodded his agreement. “We’re trying our hardest to figure out if we can reverse these effects; we’ll be keeping you here in the meantime. I’m afraid we can’t just tell you everything that happened point blank or you’ll go into a state of shock we may not be able to pull you away from. You’re very unstable Gloria, but you’ve survived, and hopefully, with more therapy, you’ll be able to return to the world again.”</p>
<p>	Gloria looked down at her hands. “But not as champion,” she whispered.</p>
<p>	There was no answer.</p>
<p>	Because she already knew the answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Gloria returns from her room one day after surgery and finds a flower vase sitting on her bedside table. There’s no note, she knows who it’s from and suddenly fear, irrational, relentless fear, wells up inside of her, like an ocean beating relentlessly inside of her and she’s drowning.</p>
<p>	The nurse can’t respond quick enough as Gloria takes the vase and throws it to the ground, shattering it into a million pieces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the middle of the night Gloria wakes up screaming.</p>
<p>	<em>He</em> was there in her dreams. His eyes glowed like torches and he towered above her like a king of nightmares. Her team, her Pokemon, vanished under his touch and then her memories… The vase of flowers sitting in their place.</p>
<p>	All gone. All gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	It takes Hop a week to persuade the doctors to let Gloria receive more visitors, but eventually they agree. Piers and Marnie are the first ones who come to visit. Gloria doesn’t remember much, but she remembers that she likes both of them and cares about them a lot. Piers and Marnie talk and sometimes Gloria doesn’t follow the conversation but she still smiles when they laugh. It’s warm and comforting.</p>
<p>	She wants to ask them questions about what happened, but the steady weight of Tyranitar’s head on her lap is a gentle reminder that she cannot, because though her body is strong her heart is weak.</p>
<p>	So she doesn’t ask, but instead asks them about themselves; to fill in the gaps she’s missing about their identity. Marnie tells Gloria about Morpeko, her Pokemon who practically fell in love with her and presents her with a card he drew himself. Piers tells her about his gym, it’s Marnie’s now, and about the concerts he used to host. They don’t go into detail about Pokemon battles or how they know her, but Gloria doesn’t mind. She likes listening to them talk.</p>
<p>	Gloria makes Piers promise to come put on a show for her, and he gives her a smile and says he’d be happy to. </p>
<p>	When they’re gone, they leave a girl and her Pokemon in a room that feels eerily empty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	When the doctor comes in the next time, he updates her on her status and that they’ve made no new progressive breakthroughs with her memories.</p>
<p>	“We’re trying as hard as we can though champ,” he reassures her.</p>
<p>	Suddenly she <em>hates</em> being called champ.</p>
<p>	The doctor pauses as he flips through his notes. “I may be stepping over too many boundaries, but do you remember if you and Raihan had any sort of <em>violent</em> relationship?”</p>
<p>	Gloria’s eyes widen and she shakes her head vigorously. “I…” She’s sweating. “I don’t remember.”</p>
<p>	The doctor eyes her. “You don’t know why you’re afraid of him? It’s very important if you do, it could be a breakthrough with our research.”</p>
<p>	She stares at the doctor. She doesn’t care if it’s a breakthrough or not, he’s causing her brain to work on overload and she wants him <em>gone</em>. “I don’t.”</p>
<p>	He hums and flips through her records. “We can’t trust Hop’s words alone, so if you do remember anything, let us know.”</p>
<p>	Gloria feels one stop short of another panic attack when he leaves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Nessa, Milo, Kabu, Gordie and his mother all come and Gloria suffers no relapse. The doctors are convinced she suffered some sort of abuse at Raihan’s hands but Hop continually defends him with unwavering patience.</p>
<p>	Gloria doesn’t know if she believes Hop or not.</p>
<p>	Bede comes in with Opal and he gives her a long cold stare, which for some reason, despite not being able to remember anything, seems fitting with Bede’s character.</p>
<p>	“You didn’t have to bloody come if you didn’t want to,” Gloria says coolly.</p>
<p>	Opal pats her hand. “He was the one who insisted on coming.”</p>
<p>	Gloria and Bede stare at each other for an uncomfortable moment. “You made Hop cry,” she mumbles as memory stirs.</p>
<p>	“You’ve looked better yourself champ,” he replies.</p>
<p>	Bede is the only other person she’s come into contact with where there’s only a solid feeling of dislike and distrust. Some of them Gloria knows she didn’t like when she first met, but the feeling of acceptance is heavy in her heart and she knows that somehow, someway, she grew to love them. For Bede, the dislike is there but somewhere along the line of her memory it vanishes, leaving only white-washed emotions.</p>
<p>	So what followed? Hatred? Envy? Love?</p>
<p>	Another memory cut from her mind.</p>
<p>	Opal stares at her sadly during their entire conversation and Bede seems uncomfortable through it all, to the point where Gloria begins to fidget herself. Then a memory appears.</p>
<p>	“Bellonlea,” she whispers.</p>
<p>	“Ah, yes darling. That’s where our gym is,” Opal says with a smile.</p>
<p>	Gloria’s hands clench around her blanket. “It was so magical there… I don’t… I don’t remember the other towns’ names, but I remember Bellonlea.”</p>
<p>	“That’s wonderful.”</p>
<p>	A small smile quivers on her lips and suddenly Gloria feels like she can remember everything. She stares hard at the blanket and there’s only empty silence. Radio static.</p>
<p>	She can’t remember anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	In a dream she’s locked away in darkness. Her heart is pounding, pounding, pounding, and even though she can’t see the walls, she knows they’re closing in with each passing second. Leon is running towards her, shouting at her, telling her to get away that this isn’t her fight.</p>
<p>	His Pokemon are weak, she knows hers are too, but she has to do this. They all know this is what they need to do. Six Pokeballs, six Pokemon, she sends them out but a man with grey and black hair appears. <em>What was his name?</em> Her Pokemon vanish into thin black smoke and then are absorbed by a glowing crystal like Pokemon. It roars ferociously, so loud Gloria thinks her heart will explode.</p>
<p>	But suddenly the Pokemon is gone and Raihan is there instead, he’s offering her his hand, but Gloria doesn’t take it. She screams and the dream vanishes, leaving her in darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Hop suggests he show her his Pokemon. The doctor shuts his idea down. He suggests more ideas: they go out to eat in Hullbury - no can do; they go visit Leon again - she has to stay in bed; she goes home to see her mom - her home has too many memories attached; her mom comes to visit her - they hesitate, but shake their heads after some thought. Home and her mom will bring back too many memories she can’t handle right now.</p>
<p>	She senses that she’s never felt this weak before.</p>
<p>	“You don’t love me,” Gloria says one day as they walk around the lake by the hospital.</p>
<p>	Hop startles and gives her a blank look. “Of course I love you.”</p>
<p>	Gloria scoffs; it’s the closest to a laugh that she’s come. “I know you love me, but I didn’t mean like that.”</p>
<p>	They come to a bench and Tyranitar helps her sit down on it. Hop sits next to her. He doesn’t say anything. Did she offend him?</p>
<p>	A memory surfaces. Hazy at first but it gradually becomes clearer, or at least, part of it. “It was you and Marnie, wasn’t it? You love Marnie; you asked Piers if you could date her at her birthday party.”</p>
<p>	Hop smiles at her. “You remembered that,” he says softly and then he laughs. “Oh my gosh you remember the birthday party! That’s awesome!”</p>
<p>	“Bits of it. Just you asking her out, in fact. And that Piers wasn’t happy? That’s all.”</p>
<p>	The boy next to her hums happily to himself. “And Sonia loves Leon.”</p>
<p>	Gloria doesn’t remember this, but it makes sense so she nods. “And me?” She looks over at Hop and he chews at his lips, unsure if he should speak. “Bede? When Bede came to visit I sensed that I didn’t like him… because he hurt you I think, but where the rest of my memories should be, it’s like a timeline I guess, that feeling of dislike didn’t keep going, so I wondered if I loved him.”</p>
<p>	The laugh that bursts from Hop’s throat has so much force behind it it startles Gloria and wakes Tyranitar up. He wipes away tears and shakes his head, still smiling. “You think he’s a stuck up loser! You two are rivals, or were rivals. No, you don’t love him. I think you pity him, but who knows. I never did know what was going on inside your attic, so it’s possible but… I don’t think you loved him.”</p>
<p>	“What makes you so sure?”</p>
<p>	Hop’s golden eyes glow. “Trust me on this one.”</p>
<p>	Gloria sits silently, thinking about his words. Hop places a hand on her shoulder. “There’s so much I want to tell you Gloria. I want to tell you about how we met and about our journey together and why you’re like a sister to me…” he pauses and for a second he looks as frail as she feels. “But I don’t want to hurt you, so we’ll take this step by step until you remember everything!” Hop’s eyes shine valiantly.</p>
<p>	<em>Ah yes, they always shined like that didn’t they?</em> And at the same time: <em>he’s the hero Galar truly deserves.</em></p>
<p>	Hours pass by as the two talk, about Hop’s life, about her life, but with lots of missing details in between. Gaps that Gloria can’t fathom filling in.</p>
<p>	As they walk back to the hospital Gloria tells Hop about the nightmares she’s been having.</p>
<p>	Hop gives her a sad look. “You know I can’t talk about <em>him</em>.”</p>
<p>	Gloria opens her mouth, closes it, and then opens it again. “I want… I think I want talk to him again.”</p>
<p>	There was fear and yet, something deep inside of her wanted to see him again. There was an overwhelming urge to see him, to let him talk to her this time and with each step it got louder and louder, until it was a buzz inside her brain.</p>
<p>	“You’ll have to talk to the doctors.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	There’s a knock on her door, and once more a doctor steps inside, but this time, Raihan is behind her. Gloria’s eyes widen and her heart rate monitor begins to beep frantically.</p>
<p>	“Sh- sorry, this was a bad idea,” he hisses and is turning around as Gloria chokes back her breaths and says, “stay.”</p>
<p>	The two newcomers to the room exchange a glance and Gloria coughs violently, taking deep breaths like they’ve taught her to do <em>one, two, one, two</em>… and she motions to the chair by her bedside.</p>
<p>	Raihan looks back at the doctor, maybe hoping she asks him to leave, but the doctor says nothing, she simply nods. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”</p>
<p>	The tall boy watches her go, and Gloria studies him. He’s not dressed like how she remembers him- his usual outfit is gone, replaced by a baggy sweatshirt and jeans- his hat gone. He looks tired too. He looks so very, very tired, like he’s the one hooked up to all these machines and not her. He turns back and is surprised to find him staring at her, but apparently quickly waves it off and takes a seat. It’s almost funny; he’s far too tall for the chair.</p>
<p>	“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he says gently, and now Gloria is suprised. There is no malice behind his voice, there is no hatred, no vice. Only kindness.</p>
<p>	Gloria studies him. Was it always this awkward? Part of her is glad she doesn’t remember.</p>
<p>	“I…” Gloria begins. “I have bad memories of you.” Her heart rate monitor beeps louder, quicker and she takes a deep breath. “Are they real memories?”</p>
<p>	Raihan simply shakes his head and then pauses. “I don’t think so… I mean, I have no clue. I thought… I thought…” he pauses and bites his lip, his nose curling in a snarl and he quickly shakes his head. “Your memories are yours, not mine.”</p>
<p>	Gloria takes a deep breath and Tyranitar sits up, examining his owner and then Raihan. The gym leader <em>(he was the <em>dragon</em> gym leader wasn’t he)</em> smiles a little at the sight of the Pokemon. He’s the first one who’s smiled at Tyranitar.</p>
<p>	“He knows you,” Gloria says, but she doesn’t need Raihan to confirm that she’s correct. “How?”</p>
<p>	Raihan plays with his fingers, an anxious habit he’s developed because he likes to fidget with his phone, Gloria remembers. “I’m the dragon gym leader, he’s kind of a dragon Pokemon. And we used to train a lot together.”</p>
<p>	A memory appears. There’s not much to it but she remembers his gym, the stadium, the empty stands. He’s petting a Pokemon, praising it and then he smiles at her.</p>
<p>	Then, like a roller coaster, her memory violently shifts and her vision is filled with blood, she smells blood, she tastes it and it’s overwhelming. More screams. More shrieking.  The doctor rushes in and drags Raihan out of the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Gloria can’t sleep at night.</p>
<p>	Tyranitar snores softly nearby, and normally Gloria wouldn’t mind, but tonight it’s giving her a headache. <em>Why?</em> What was that memory?</p>
<p>	The more she thinks about <em>it</em> and the blood, the more she begins to panic, and when she tries to think about Raihan the same panic appears and so Gloria thinks about Tyranitar.</p>
<p>	The answer to her question comes like seaglass with the tide.</p>
<p>He was a gift.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“The doctors are thinking of banning me from coming because I give you too many bad ideas,” Hop tells her.</p>
<p>	“You and Tyranitar are the only ones keeping me sane,” Gloria says.</p>
<p>“I encouraged it and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry Gloria.”</p>
<p>“I still want to see him.”</p>
<p>Hop blinks at her. Once. Twice. Gloria feels gaunt and ghostly, her face muscles feel droopy and saggy; she feels exhausted and run down. She feels old.</p>
<p>“Are you still having nightmares?” Hop asks.</p>
<p>She shakes her head. Now there’s only static. No more dreams. Just static.</p>
<p>“I hope we figure this out soon.”</p>
<p>She hopes so too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	A week later, Raihan comes back. On his own.</p>
<p>	Gloria eyes him wearily. “I thought the doctors wouldn’t let you in.”</p>
<p>	Raihan smiles, it’s charismatic really, and her heart rate monitor beeps louder, but it’s not fear this time. “I wanted to see you so I snuck in.”</p>
<p>	Somewhere, a long time ago, Gloria thinks her heart would have danced at those words.</p>
<p>	“I want to ask you why,” she says slowly, “but I don’t want to at the same time. So tell me about yourself.”</p>
<p>	Raihan raises an eyebrow at her. “Do you really not remember any of us?”</p>
<p>	“Bits and pieces, but for the most part I draw blanks and spaces,” she pauses, remembering her realization. “You gave Tyranitar to me. I remembered. At least, I think I do. I was going to ask Hop but I wanted to hear it from you.”</p>
<p>	The dragon tamer smiles that charming smile, and he pretends not to notice as her heart rate monitor jumps again. “Yes, I did. He was a present. Because- for beating me I guess.”</p>
<p>	“For beating you?” She asks and then remembers. She was the champion. She had to have battled and beat him at least one time. Did they fight regularly? “Was I a strong trainer?”</p>
<p>	Raihan smiles sadly and looks down at his intertwined hands. “The strongest I know.”</p>
<p>	She considers this answer and then nods her approval. “Was Tyranitar not on my main team?”</p>
<p>	“No.”</p>
<p>	That’s how he survived. “And… and my other team. My main team…” <em>My champion team.</em> “Are they…?”</p>
<p>	Raihan doesn’t answer her, he only stares at his hands. “I can’t tell you.”</p>
<p>	Gloria’s hands twitch and she leans closer to him. “Tell me. Raihan, tell me. Where are they? What happened to them? <em>Please</em>.”</p>
<p>Dark hands wrap around her brain and suddenly she’s drowning again. <em>Fire</em>, there was fire and blood and blood and blood and blood-</p>
<p>Raihan is shouting something but Gloria can’t hear. He’s trying to comfort her but she can’t control herself. Her hands are moving on their own, she tries to tell herself to stop, to calm down but there’s only static.</p>
<p>A nurse comes running in and once more Raihan is taken away from her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	The doctor sits at her bedside and gives her a long hard stare. “He’s not allowed in here anymore.”</p>
<p>	Gloria doesn’t answer him.</p>
<p>	“Do you understand?”</p>
<p>	Tyranitar looks over at the doctor and growls. “I want him to come back.”</p>
<p>	The doctor sighs and rubs at his face. “I know, but that’s the third time you’ve seen him and the third panic attack you’ve had. Your heart, your mind, you can’t handle that yet. You’re still Galar’s legend. We can’t lose you and we’re afraid if you continue to have panic attacks, we might. Your heart has gotten substantially weaker. Too much shock at once and it could burst.”</p>
<p>	Gloria doesn’t respond. Her nose twitches and suddenly she’s crying. She rubs furiously at her eyes and shakes her head over and over again. Why does she feel so sad? She doesn’t know.</p>
<p>	The doctor reviews her notes, and then leaves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	It’s getting colder when Hop and Gloria go out for a walk around the lake the next time. Hop let’s out an unhappy noise and Gloria glances up at him.</p>
<p>	“You were looking so well, now what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>	“The nightmares were wrong, weren’t they?”</p>
<p>	“They were wrong.”</p>
<p>	Her lips quiver. “Why does he look so sad and tired?” She glances at Hop. They all have looked sad and tired now that she thinks about it.</p>
<p>	Hop swallows hard. “We all are, but I think he’s hurting the most.”</p>
<p>	Gloria bites her lip and then stops walking. Hop stops and turns to look at her. She stares hard into his eyes. “<em>Please</em> Hop. Tell me what happened. With the accident. I need to know. Just bits and pieces. We can take breaks.”</p>
<p>	Hop shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”</p>
<p>	“<em>Please, please, please</em>. Don’t do this to me Hop!”</p>
<p>	His face contorts and tears threaten to spill on his face. “No! The doctors told me what would happen if you become overwhelmed and I’m not going to hurt you like that!”</p>
<p>	A sob breaks from her throat and she wraps her arms around him, asking him, begging him to tell her. “I promise,” she says, “I promise I won’t die on you. <em>Please</em>, you’ll kill me of a broken heart if you don’t.”</p>
<p>	It takes thirty minutes of pestering for him to agree. And slowly the story begins to fall together.</p>
<p>	Weeks after she became champion, Rose’s scheme came to light and Leon and her rushed to the scene but Eternatus had already been released.</p>
<p>	They sit down on a bench and Hop throws rocks into the lake.</p>
<p>	Leon’s stand; Hop and Gloria showed up late and Leon had tried to contain Eternatus but could not, Gloria needed to step in. The darkness was growing, thriving on the fear they all felt, the fear she shouldn’t have had because she was the <em>champion</em>. Her Pokemon fought tooth and nail, Gloria was always alongside them.</p>
<p>	Gloria’s breathing starts to get shaky and Hop insists they stop, but Gloria tells him to keep going. That she’ll be okay.</p>
<p>	Right when she has Eternatus pinned against the ground, Rose shows up again, fiercely determined to finish what he has already started. His Pokemon are not weakened by the fight and Gloria and her team are beaten down, blow after blow, until at long last, with the aid of Hop, she takes Rose down. Hop pins Rose down- something he blames himself for doing because he wasn’t there for her. Eternatus revives itself and unleashes a massive attack and Gloria knows her team can’t take any more, but they keep fighting because they are the <em>champion’s</em> team, the saviors of Galar and nothing can stand in their way from victory.</p>
<p>	A final attack, all or nothing, her Pokemon offering every last bit of strength to seal away Eternatus for once and for all.</p>
<p>	“You stopped Eternatus,” Hop whispers, “enough so that Leon could finish what you started with his already weakened team. You’re the hero of Galar.”</p>
<p>	Gloria’s hands are shaking at the end of the tale, and Tyranitar is whining because he knows her heart rate is out of control already, but she has to know the entire story. “And Tyranitar was there. Because I gave him to you to help you train.”</p>
<p>	Hop nods gloomily.</p>
<p>	“And they sacrificed themselves to save me from Eternatus.”</p>
<p>	Another nod.</p>
<p>	The faces of her Pokemon, all dead now, flood her mind. Every memory with them comes back: Leon letting her choose her starter Pokemon, the minute she met her each new teammate, their determination to stay on her team and fight alongside her, the hours they spent training, the hours they spent camping under the night sky in the Wild Area, their victories and their failures, the good times and the bad times. The feeling of triumph as they stood together and the crowd hailed them as Galar’s new champion. <em>How can she be a champion without them?</em></p>
<p>	She falls into Hop’s arms and sobs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	It takes a lot of convincing on her part, but Tyranitar agrees to break her out. Her memories are not coming back, but she knows the truth now and the hole in her heart is large, but there are other reasons why she feels empty and lost, she realizes.</p>
<p>	It’s midnight when they arrive in Hammerlocke, that’s what the city was called, both of them looking exhausted. Thankfully no one is around to notice a girl dressed in a hospital gown and her Pokemon wandering the streets.</p>
<p>	This time, she’s the one knocking on the door.</p>
<p>	No one answers and as she stands there, she feels lonely and afraid. What if she was wrong about her memories? No. She was sure these ones were right. Her nightmares were wrong. She wanted to see him and that’s why she was here now. And she wasn’t leaving.</p>
<p>	A minute passed and as she turned to go, had she always given up this easily, the door opened and in the doorway, Raihan stood looking completely frazzled, his hair disheveled from sleep.</p>
<p>	“Gloria.”</p>
<p>	Raihan hands her a mug of tea and sits down next to her on the couch. She thanks him and takes a sip. “Hop told me what happened.”</p>
<p>	“And are you okay?”</p>
<p>	Gloria shrugs. “I feel… hollow.”</p>
<p>	Raihan sets his cup down on the table in front of him and takes her free hand in his. He gently caresses it, studying her hand intently as he runs his thumb over her skin. “You’re still Galar’s champion Gloria.”</p>
<p>	Tyranitar hums from it’s spot on the floor and Gloria’s lips quiver. “How can I be? Without them?”</p>
<p>	He looks up at her and their eyes meet, and there’s a clash like fire and ice and Gloria feels electrified. “You trained second teams. Third teams. They gave up their lives for you Gloria because they knew how much this region needs you.”</p>
<p>	“I don’t think I can be strong.”</p>
<p>	“You don’t have to be,” Raihan whispers, “because you being yourself, even at your weakest, is everything this region needs now.”</p>
<p>	Gloria sits quietly, the humming inside her head steady. The memories, many of them are still blank, and yet… she turns back to Raihan.</p>
<p>	“Why was I scared of you?”</p>
<p>	Raihan shrugs. “I don’t know, but I think you’ve got a guess.”</p>
<p>	<em>Because I love you</em> . She doesn’t know why, she doesn’t remember the moments they’ve shared or the adventures they’ve had, but she knows it’s true and that fear was her irrational fear of telling him her feelings, manipulated through the trauma to be something other than the silly, childish fear of confessing.</p>
<p>	She wants to mourn her Pokemon’s deaths, she wants to mourn her memories and cry over everything and she will, but right now, she wants to be with him and to be held by him, and part of her knows if she asks, he’ll hold her.</p>
<p>Gloria looks back up at him and he stares at her with his teal eyes, and they bring color to the dark void in her mind. She sets her glass down and looks down where his hand still rests on hers. She thinks back to when she first came to visit him and how had she not realized how exhausted he looked, how worried his features were, how stressed she had made him?</p>
<p>“Not seeing you hurts,” he whispers and she feels the same way.</p>
<p>	Raihan’s hand tightens around hers and he leans forward and gently presses his lips to hers, like a petal falling on the surface of a lake. Memories again: how many times has she dreamed of this? She remembers his passion in every battle they’ve ever had, the furious rage that builds up in his features but this Raihan is not like that. This Raihan is gentle; he holds her like he’s scared that if he holds her too tightly, she’ll break and at the same time, he holds her as if he’s scared that she’ll be gone when he opens his eyes.</p>
<p>	She pulls away and Raihan’s eyes open, taking her in, studying her, searching for something. Gloria sees fear and worry in his eyes, something she’s sure she’s never seen before. “I was so scared I was going to lose you-”</p>
<p>	Gloria sobs, not because she’s sad but because she’s angry she can’t remember any of the moments she and Raihan spent together, but her heart knows, and she supposes that for now, that will be enough.</p>
<p>	She falls into him and he strokes her hair, the two of them finding comfort in just being together.</p>
<p>	Hop knew all along.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hours later, Gloria wakes up to the sound of Tyranitar growling. Her heart begins to rapidly beat, but the boy next to her stirs and all at once she feels at ease. Raihan’s slow and steady breathing is a calm constant to the staticy noise that goes on in the back of her head- the noise that calls her, asking her to become lost in the void. But with Raihan by her side, she knew she didn’t have to be afraid of her memories anymore. With him, she was safe.</p>
<p>	There’s a loud banging on the door and Raihan’s eyes blink open wearily and he looks over at her. He stills looks tired, but there’s a look of peace and comfort in his face now.</p>
<p>	“They’re here to take me away,” Gloria whispers.</p>
<p>	Raihan frowns and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. “I won’t let them.”</p>
<p>	“I’ll come back. I won’t let them keep me away from you.”</p>
<p>	His teal eyes hold her gaze. “Do you think I’d let them?”</p>
<p>	She rests her head against his chest, trying to savor every moment before they take her away again as the banging continues. She is still broken, she is still healing, and maybe she is not the champion she used to be.</p>
<p>	But in his strong arms, she feels like she has the strength to be champion again.</p>
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